Sign on

SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service

· Find Similar Abstracts (with default settings below)
· Electronic Refereed Journal Article (HTML)
· Full Refereed Journal Article (PDF/Postscript)
· References in the article
· Citations to the Article (5) (Citation History)
· Refereed Citations to the Article
· Also-Read Articles (Reads History)
·
· Translate This Page
Title:
The trans-Neptunian object size distribution at small sizes
Authors:
Gil-Hutton, R.; Licandro, J.; Pinilla-Alonso, N.; Brunetto, R.
Affiliation:
AA(Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito - CONICET and Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. España 1512 sur, J5402DSP - San Juan, Argentina ), AB(Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, c/vía Láctea s/n, E38205, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain), AC(Fundación Galileo Galilei & Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, PO Box 565, 38700, S/C de La Palma, Tenerife, Spain), AD(Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris-Sud, bâtiment 121, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France)
Publication:
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 500, Issue 2, 2009, pp.909-916 (A&A Homepage)
Publication Date:
06/2009
Origin:
EDP Sciences
Astronomy Keywords:
Kuiper Belt, solar system: formation, astrochemistry, methods: numerical
DOI:
10.1051/0004-6361/200811301
Bibliographic Code:
2009A&A...500..909G

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this work is to estimate the size distribution of small Trans-Neptunian objects.
Methods: We simulate the irradiation and collisional processes affecting the surface of a Trans-Neptunian object for the first time using as a constraint the peculiar crystalline to amorphous water ice ratio observed on (136108) 2003 EL61.
Results: We find that the size distribution changes its exponent from q_0=4.2 at larger sizes to q_1=2.40±0.3 at the smaller ones, with a break radius of r_1=35±15 km. If this size distribution is applied to studying the collisional surface evolution of (136108) 2003 EL61, we find that the object must be covered by a thin ice crust of ≈0.12 cm, while the original composition of the object is still present at 1.61 cm or more below the surface. This result is not affected by a collision with a large projectile that occurred by chance more than 109 yr ago since after a short time the mean value obtained for the crystalline to amorphous water ice ratio is indistinguishable from the one obtained without a collision with a large projectile. Since the simulations are not sensitive to the effects of very small projectiles (r_p<10{-}30 m), it is possible that the exponent of the size distribution for these very small objects changes again, approaching a Donhanyi's size distribution.
Bibtex entry for this abstract   Preferred format for this abstract (see Preferences)
   

Find Similar Abstracts:

Use: Authors
Title
Keywords (in text query field)
Abstract Text
Return: Query Results Return    items starting with number
Query Form
Database: Astronomy
Physics
arXiv e-prints